


say it's gonna be alright

by Arythia



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Also Tess/Joel is mentioned, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comfort No Hurt, Dina has terrible parents, Dina makes questionable life choices, Dom/sub Undertones, Ellie is doing her best, Ellie isn't too stupid, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Mutual Pining, Nevermind there's a little bit of hurt, Resolved Sexual Tension, Reunions, Sharing a Bed, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26455582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arythia/pseuds/Arythia
Summary: It's been more than a year since Dina left Wyoming.When she was offered an acting job in New York, she thought her luck couldn't get much better. It's only when she finds herself alone that she realizes how much she regrets abandoning her family, how dull her life has become. When the world she's come to know is once again flipped upside down, she isn't sure if she knows how to handle it.
Relationships: Dina & Ellie (The Last of Us), Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 162





	say it's gonna be alright

**Author's Note:**

> Aye folks!  
> This oneshot's been rattling around in my head all week and I needed something to pass time and get some of that inspiration down, so here you have it! I'm still in love with this pairing and wanted to try my hand at a modern AU where Dina's a successful actress, meanwhile Ellie is -- you know -- Ellie.  
> I'm not going to call this a songfic, but I do have a few songs to go with it:  
> \- Diet Mountain Dew by Lana Del Rey  
> \- Strange Love by Halsey  
> Hope you enjoy it!

If there was one thing Dina hated about her life in New York, it was the indescribable void of loneliness that rolled around at the end of every busy day.

She absolutely despised it with every fiber of her being, and she wanted it to be over. 

Leaving Wyoming, albeit something she’d worked towards for years, left a void in Dina that she could never fill. She had abandoned her sister, her parents, and above that, the one person that she was sure she’d spend her entire life with.

Ellie Williams.

Before she moved, everything between them had been perfect. Even if Ellie had been childish and irritating and a  _ brat,  _ she was  _ her _ brat, and that was what mattered in the end. She missed what they had, missed the lightheartedness of it all.

She couldn’t bring herself to fight for Ellie to move with her. Ellie had work in Jackson -- College, too. Knowing Joel, she’d probably be home all the time anyway. 

Dina wasn’t ready to take that from her, she wasn’t sure if she could live with herself if she had.

That would never change how much she missed her, how much she always had, and always would.

_ But did Ellie miss her too? _

She had to. After all of the years, all of the long nights, all of the losses and successes, there was no way she could just keep going. 

Maybe she had to let go if she wanted to move forward, but that was  _ so _ much easier said than done.

The rain that pelted down on the city was little more than salt in the wound for Dina, wishing that it could all be the same as it was when she was home with her friends. They were grown up now, working, and living their lives as adults, but she hated to admit it.

Now it was seven in the evening on a particularly busy Friday, and Dina just wanted to be home. 

With a deep sigh, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and bit her lip when she saw the picture of Ellie on her lock screen.

She knew that she should’ve changed it  _ long  _ ago, but she didn’t. At this point, she didn’t think she could if she tried. It was so near and dear to her that she couldn’t quite part with it, and sometimes she needed the reminder of everything that she’d lost to be where she was today.

Her emails, as per usual, were left unread. If she could put off reading them any longer, she would. 

For now, she pulled up her ride-sharing app and moved over to the edge of the building that she’d so recently stumbled out of, leaning back against a stone pillar that adorned the front of it.

When she went online, the first person to accept her ride was someone that went by the name of  _ Ellie. _

It felt like yet another kind of cruel kick in the ass from the universe to remind her of the fact that she’d left her entire world behind.

She had to force herself to remember that there had to be hundreds of thousands of people named Ellie, and this one happened to be driving a black Toyota Prius. 

Dina couldn’t see her Ellie in a Prius, not in a million years. 

The Ellie she knew tore up backroads in an old four door pickup with her radio blaring, taking any opportunity given to stir up dust and annoy the neighbors. Like hell would she move to New York and buy a fucking Prius of all things.

It took a few moments of waiting for the car to pull up, but when it did, Dina strode up, head down, doing everything she could to keep her face shielded from the rain. Leaving her umbrella at home was a poor decision on her behalf. 

It was only when she closed the door behind herself that she smelled a scent so familiar that it hurt- Ellie’s cologne.  _ Her _ Ellie. It smelled like forest pines, like whiskey, like the girl she had always loved.

She remembered how much Ellie loved that stupid stuff, and she’d grown to love it too, mostly by association. It smelled like  _ home _ .

“Where to?” The woman in the front seat asked, and that sent a chill down her spine. 

_ No fucking way. _

Dina swallowed hard, her breath nearly stuck in her throat. 

_ Fuck. This can’t really be her, can it?  _

Ellie was no worse for the wear, clearly. Her auburn brown hair was still short, in that half-up half-down style she’d always worn in Jackson. She wore a black leather jacket, red flannel buttoned up beneath it, along with blue skinny jeans and a pair of converse.

Apparently, the year they’d spent apart hadn’t changed her fashion style, but it sure as hell had changed her disposition. She seemed more laid back than ever, practically radiating an intoxicating air of confidence, the likes of which Dina couldn’t ignore.

Handsome. That was the word for it, wasn’t it? Absolutely breathtakingly fucking handsome.

“Ah- Box Kite Coffee,” Dina managed, fumbling with her hands in her lap. She didn’t want Ellie too close to her apartment building, if it meant walking a few blocks, so be it. 

Ellie looked like she’d just been shot, eyebrows raised as she glanced up to her rearview mirror. 

“No fuckin’ way,” she mused, turning to the back of the car, hand braced on the steering wheel. “Dina?”

It was Dina’s turn to freeze up once again, nearly paralyzed with fear.  _ Was she going to be mad? Would she kick her out of the car? She couldn’t just do that, right? _

“Hey, El,” she mumbled sheepishly, absolutely dumbfounded. If she had any sense left in her she would’ve jumped out of the car and gone running, but she could barely even bring herself to breathe air.

It couldn’t really be her, could it? It was probably just a dream, some stupid figment of her imagination,  _ anything  _ but her. She had better things to do than try and get by in New York, or so Dina hoped she did.

Ellie chuckled with amusement, turning back to the front of her car. “Holy shit, it’s been forever and a half since I’ve seen you.”

Dina, clearly uncomfortable, nodded to her. She only wanted it to be over, but with Ellie, it could never be that easy. Of course she just had to make her life more complicated, at this rate she could turn it into a nine to five.

For whatever stupid reason under the sun, Ellie didn’t take the hint. Phone in hand, she plugged in the address to the coffee shop, shutting off her phone as the robotic voice filled her car with the first direction. 

“So, how’s it been?” Ellie offered, starting on the route to the shop. The car rode lower than anything Ellie would’ve driven back home, and Dina felt out of place, like she was witnessing the most unnatural thing known to man.

Dina hated how eager she was -- she also absolutely  _ loved  _ it -- but it didn’t feel right to treat her like an old friend. Even if that was all she was, all she ever could be to her now that they’d parted ways.

“Really shitty, actually.” Dina felt bad saying it, she was so incredibly lucky to have the job that she did, doing exactly what she loved; the one thing she never thought she could go places with. “You’re not mad, are you?”

She had every right to be angry. In fact, she  _ should  _ be angry, if only to put Dina in her place.  _ Breaking up with someone and ghosting them for a year shouldn’t just be forgiven, _ Dina thought.

At least if Ellie was mad she’d have some sort of closure, something to let her know where they stood.

“What? No, I could never be mad at you, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me since Joel.” Ellie’s face was painted with a sad smile, forest green eyes heavy with something that Dina couldn’t quite read. “I just wanted you to be happy, you know? Even if it fucked me up for a bit.”

Dina backed off when she realized the tone in her voice, just the slightest shakiness to it that proved how much she was hurting. It was clear as day that she was trying to stay strong, but it wasn’t enough. “That’s… I’m sorry.” 

“Shush, don’t be.”

She wished that it could be as easy as Ellie was painting it to be. Maybe for her, it was, but for Dina, she could never stop feeling bad. What she did was wrong, and she couldn’t keep acting like it wasn’t.

Opting to set her eyes on the rain that dripped down the window, counting them as they passed, Dina looked for a better topic, one that didn’t hurt as much.

“How long have you been here?” 

“Only five or six months. My friend Cat’s been here for a bit, offered me a place for a bit until I got back on my feet.” Ellie’s lips flattened into a line, and it seemed like ‘Cat’ -- whoever she might be -- was a sensitive topic. Just another thing to avoid. “I’m good now, got my own apartment and all.”

“You could’ve texted me, you know?” Dina pointed out, even if it seemed stupid. Obviously she could have texted.  _ She would have if she wanted to, dumbass.  _

“Yeah, I just, figured you didn’t want me around anymore.” 

Dina furrowed her brow, still fidgeting with anything she could in an attempt to ease her nerves. The mere fact that Ellie felt that way hurt her heart.

“Why do you say that?”

“Not too sure.” Ellie paused, deep in thought for longer than she normally would be. “After you broke up with me and all that stuff-- it seemed like it was my fault.”

“El,” Dina huffed, eyes focused on the storefronts and buildings that they passed. “You didn’t do anything wrong, you know that, right?” 

Ellie only shrugged, bringing the car to a stop as the light in front of them went red. The traffic was atrocious, but you couldn’t expect much less from the middle of the city on a Friday night. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-- I didn’t want it to end up the way it did.” Dina bit her lip as she eased back into her seat, eyes welled with tears, those of which she fought violently to restrain.

The rain seemed to pick up, or maybe it was just Dina’s mind short-circuiting and amplifying the world around her. It wasn’t meant to be difficult to talk to Ellie, it never was before.

“I know.” Ellie bit her lip, struggling with all of the things she wanted to say. “I don’t blame you. I couldn’t handle all the long-distance stuff either.”

Dina chuckled half-heartedly, tilting her head to lean it against the window. “It was pretty cute when you’d sing me to sleep when you called me and I’d get to wake up to your stupid face.”

“What could’ve been, eh?” Ellie smirked, slowly lulling the car forward as the traffic shifted forward. “Clearly you’re missing out on  _ so _ much.”

“My heart is simply full of regret,” Dina said, brow quirked with amusement. “It’s fuckin’ frigid in here. Some things never change with you,” Dina said, lips quirked up into a faint smile. This was the Ellie she knew, the one she missed.

Ellie rolled her eyes and cranked the heater up, leaning back in her seat as they continued down the road.

A few minutes passed, and Ellie decided to turn up the radio, trying to ease the thoughts rattling around in her mind. Dina didn’t seem to mind, bouncing her knee along to the music.

Eventually, Ellie pulled up to the curb, turning down her radio and shifting her car into park. She spared Dina another somewhat sad glance over her shoulder, met with equally dull brown eyes.

It hurt her to see her once bright-eyed and lively best friend so run down, but she couldn’t bring herself to think too hard on it.

Dina let out a sigh, unbuckling her seatbelt and freezing in place when she reached the door.

_ Lord forgive me for what I’m going to do. _

“Hey, Ellie?” Dina said, brows furrowed with apprehension. She regretted speaking up immediately, but she couldn’t  _ not  _ do it.

“Hm?” 

“Would you, maybe, want to hang out for a bit?” Dina continued, biting the inside of her lip. If she got denied, she’d never forgive herself. 

“Ah, so sweet that you’ve still got time for little ol’ me,” Ellie said with a wide grin. “I have to work until eight. Well, I should try to, at least.”

“C’mon, you can make time for your favorite girl, right?” Dina added with a smirk, her dark eyes burning into Ellie’s. 

“Fuck you. Fine.” 

Dina, baffled by how easily she went along with it, watched as Ellie turned the engine off and barreled out of the car. She nearly tripped on the curb as she sprinted to Dina’s side of the car and got the door for her.

Rolling her eyes, Dina followed her into the coffee shop, standing behind her. She seemed to know the place, oddly enough, but it made sense for someone as explorative as her.

The coffee shop, albeit small, was definitely cozy, with a bar and a few tables. The entire shop was warm, a sharp contrast to the chill outside. It smelled like any other coffee shop that Dina had seen in New York, absolutely amazing.

Ellie took initiative and stepped up to the counter, not waiting for Dina to tell her what she wanted. Dina looked amused, not used to her being the one to make any of the social interactions outside of their circle. It was an interesting change, to say the least.

_ Maybe she knew the barista?  _

Only a few moments later, Ellie paid and took the coffee from the woman at the counter, sharing one last smile with her and leading Dina to a table in the back of the shop. On one side she set down a cold brew, on the other a chai tea latte.

“You remembered my order?” Dina mused, hopping up into the seat parallel to Ellie. She decided not to question the cold brew, even if it’d just be another thing to pick on her for.

“Yeah, how could I not? I did our coffee runs all through junior and senior year,” Ellie said, taking a sip of her coffee and crossing her arms on the table.

Dina nodded, looking up to fully take in Ellie’s features. It’d only been a year, but she looked so much different, not older, but definitely hardened. 

“So, I take it you’ve been here before?” Dina asked, smiling amusedly. 

Ellie nodded. “I used to date the barista, Cat. I still do gigs here every now and then.”

“Oh.” Dina’s expression dropped at the mention of an ex, and she absolutely hated the way it made her feel to know that Ellie had it in her to move on. She couldn’t handle how jealous she was, because it  _ shouldn’t  _ make her feel that way anymore. 

And yet, it did.

“So, music?” Dina asked, trying to lead the conversation away from  _ Cat. _ She didn’t know who that girl was, she had no reason to hate her, and she didn’t want one.

“Yup.” Ellie smiled wholeheartedly, eyes lighting up at the mention of her work. “I do a few little shows around the city every once in a while, and I drive to fill in the gaps.”

Dina nodded, taking a sip of her drink and crossing one leg over her lap. “Nice to hear that you’re doing well. What’s Joel think of all this?”

“He said it was fine with him, as long as I come home every few weeks to help out with the babies.” Ellie looked stuck in her own world, thinking of all of the farm animals back home. “The foals are really cute this year.”

Dina nodded, lips curled up into the slightest of smiles. She remembered the times when she’d get to meet all of the animals at Joel’s farm in Wyoming, or when Ellie would sneak out with her early in the morning to explore all of the trails. Tess would always be pissed off, but Joel got a kick out of it.

“It’s nice that he didn’t get all bent out of shape about you leaving. My mom and dad were pissed off when I bought my ticket.” Although she hated to do so much as to acknowledge her parents, she felt bad keeping it from Ellie.

Ellie quirked a brow, sitting back in her chair. “You never told me about that?”

Dina shook her head. “I was too embarrassed. My dad told me I wasn’t pretty enough to make it in the industry, and my mom, well, you know how she is.”

The words felt bitter coming out of her mouth. She didn’t want to be talking about, even less so to Ellie of all people. 

Ellie nodded, lips pursed into a frown. “That sucks. I’m sorry to hear it.”

Dina shrugged, faking her best smile. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not.” Ellie went quiet, staring down at the table for a minute before she looked back to Dina. “So, uh, have you found anyone out here yet? Figure you’ve got people all over you, just like you did back home,” she said sheepishly.

“Nope, I don’t wanna risk my reputation just yet,” Dina lied. It made her upset that she had to lie to Ellie about how absolutely hung up she was, but it was better than ruining the fact that Ellie had moved on. 

She couldn’t help but let her eyes linger on Ellie’s lips, absolutely infuriated by the way it made her heart flutter in her chest.

“Mhm,” Ellie hummed, drumming her fingers on her thigh nervously. “Must be nice to have a schedule, at least.”

“Not really. Work sucks, as much as I love my job. Between you and me, every director out here is an asshole.” Dina rolled her eyes at the mere thought of the people she had to spend every grueling day working with, trying to mask her disdain.

Although she’d normally be embarrassed, Dina’s eyes lingered on Ellie’s fingers. She couldn’t  _ not  _ stare at her hands, not with all of the thoughts that flooded her mind when she thought of every single thing they could do.

“Glad you’ve been making some meaningful connections,” Ellie remarked, taking another long sip of her coffee. Dina still didn’t know how she could drink iced coffee in weather like this, but the cold had never stopped her before.

All to her luck, Ellie didn’t seem to catch on to her very overt staring.

Their conversation carried on far longer than either of them expected it to. Dina relaxed after a good few minutes, and Ellie eased up as well. It was dark outside before either of them realized it.

As the two exited the shop and Ellie blew a kiss towards the barista -- much to Dina’s chagrin -- they ended up next to the Prius, Ellie propped against it. 

“Can I offer you a ride home, or is that creepy?” Ellie asked, arms crossed. As smug a grin as ever was stuck on her face, and it was clear how much it got on Dina’s nerves.

Everything about her was irritating and frustrating and all around a pain in the ass, but she loved it. She always had, and truth be told, knew that she always would. 

“111 West 67th street,” Dina said with a deadpan, watching intently as Ellie opened the passenger door for her. Against her better judgment, she followed, slipping into the seat.

Ellie closed the door behind her and went around to the driver’s seat, starting up her car and turning up the radio just loud enough to hear it. 

“Impressive parking. I didn’t think you were cut out for New York driving.” Dina gave a half-smile as Ellie pulled away from the curb, leaned back in her seat comfortably. Some songs off of Ellie’s playlist played in the background, and Dina hated that she knew every lyric by heart.

“I’m great at driving, I’ll have you know, thanks.” 

“Mm, sure you are,” Dina huffed, looking intently at the lights of the buildings that they passed. “You can tell that to the road you tore up by Tess and Joel’s old place. The same one they made you plow the next day.”

Ellie scoffed, her grip on the steering wheel tightening defensively. “You’re just saying that to piss me off, that was only once.” 

Dina chuckled and shook her head. “You’re right, it was just to piss you off.” She paused, desperately searching for a topic, anything to fill the silence. “Still never would have thought that I’d see you in New York of all places.” 

“Yeah, well, it was the best decision for me.” Ellie couldn’t keep her eyes on Dina, both because of the fact she was driving and because she just wouldn’t be able to handle it. “After you left I didn’t really have much left in Jackson.”

Dina bit the inside of her lip, regretting the fact that she’d said anything to begin with.

“I wish I had left us on a better note,” Dina whispered, trying to hide how her voice shook. 

Ellie sighed, stopping the car as they came to a stoplight. She shot Dina a glance, though it was entirely one of uncertainty. 

“It’s not your fault.” She went silent for a few beats, turning back to the road in front of her. “I think it’s for the best that we left it off there, you know?”

“Yeah, I just..” Dina trailed off, staring down at her lap. “I wish that we could’ve had more.”

Ellie’s brow furrowed, but she couldn’t find the right words to question what Dina said. She felt the same, really. Truthfully, she hated the fact that they never got the life that they planned out more than anything else. 

Dina sat stock still, watching as the traffic cleared up just enough for Ellie to park again, this time in front of her apartment building. 

The complex was somewhat intimidating, countless floors high, designed far too modern for the surrounding buildings. The front of the building seemed to be solid glass, a balcony fashioned from the same material accompanying every room. 

Ellie took a moment to be impressed, then remembered that this was Dina’s apartment. Of course, it had to be fancy. She had rich parents, and she was most likely making good money in her career. 

Even for someone with a fairly comfortable wage such as Ellie, it was scary how well she was doing for herself after only a year.

As Ellie shifted the car to park, she glanced over to the passenger seat, only to see Dina’s eyes set on her, as if she’d been staring all night. Given her track record, she probably had been.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Ellie said, a smirk plastered on her face. When Dina didn’t return a smile, even in the slightest, Ellie tried her best to read her, but all she found was undeniable  _ hunger _ , and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

Dina licked her lips, eyes lingering on Ellie, trailing down her jaw to the exact place that she wanted to be. 

“What?” Ellie asked, brow raised in confusion.

“El, can I kiss you?”

“ _ What? _ ” She repeated, now more confused than anything. If she expected anything out of Dina, it was most certainly not that. 

“I’m asking if it’d be alright if I-”

Dina was cut off promptly, Ellie’s lips latching onto hers like she’d been waiting to do it for her entire life. In all honesty, the year they spent apart felt like a lifetime, at least to Ellie. It was slow and painful and tiring and everything that the moment they were sharing  _ wasn’t. _

When they kissed, it was fast, forceful, and fervent. All of the things that Ellie hadn’t been able to find in anyone else, the things that she never  _ would  _ find anywhere else. 

Dina only pulled away for air when she absolutely had to, and she wasted no time pressing herself back up against Ellie, the armrest proving far too annoying for its own good.

Ellie wasted no time, biting down on Dina’s bottom lip before starting the same fight for dominance that she’d never lost once in her life. As per usual, she won, her hand tangling in Dina’s hair. 

The radio continued to play in the background, muffling the sounds of traffic and bustle and everything else outside. All of that could wait. For now, they were in their own world, and nothing would stop them from being there unless they had anything to say about it.

When Ellie pulled back, Dina wanted to protest, but she figured that she’d crossed too many boundaries already. The smile on Ellie’s face told her otherwise, and she despised it for that.

“I am not about to fuck you in the front seat of your car,” Dina breathed, knuckles white around the armrest that she was using to brace herself. 

“How about the back seat?” Ellie offered, clearly joking, although it sounded too real for Dina’s liking. Why she always had to be the way she was, Dina didn’t know. 

The fact that she always loved it was even more of a mystery to her.

“You’re the worst,” Dina said, fumbling with her seatbelt. “You’re lucky we have open parking here. Hurry up, you’re coming inside.”

“I sure hope so,” Ellie replied with a huff, still fighting to catch her breath.

Without another word, Dina got out of the car, already searching her coat pockets for her key. She was at the door of the complex in seconds, Ellie stumbling after her. 

The lobby of the apartment building was a sharp contrast to the parking lot; bright, shiny, and warm. It was everything that Ellie’s car wasn’t, and it absolutely  _ screamed _ Dina. 

Just from the look of the place, she could tell how much everything cost, and it sent a chill down her spine to even imagine how high the rent could be.

Dina was doing good for herself, far better than she’d let off, and the mere image of her in such a sophisticated position was making Ellie feel some type of way that she couldn’t quite understand.

Feeling entirely out of place, Ellie followed hot on Dina’s heels as they went for the elevator. Although she wasn’t obligated to do so, she did her best to smile at the few people who remained in the lobby. 

The wait for the elevator was uncomfortable at best. When the doors opened, Ellie all but raced inside, waiting eagerly for Dina to push in the floor number. 

As the doors closed in front of them, a smirk landed on Ellie’s face, and she could practically feel Dina scowling at her. 

Opting to test her luck, Ellie placed her finger under Dina’s chin and tilted her head up ever so slightly.

“Seriously? Right now?” Dina whispered, almost under her breath. Her eyes lingered on Ellie’s lips, then traveled up to meet her gaze, the likes of which now round and pleading.

Ellie beamed, brushing her thumb along Dina’s jaw. “Not working for you?” 

“I never said that,” Dina mumbled, eyes lidded with something Ellie wished she had it in her to describe. “Make it quick.”

As requested, she did, in fact, make it quick. Ellie’s hand landed on Dina’s shoulders, the free one at the small of her back, shoving her toward the wall of the elevator. Their lips fit together as well as they ever had, and the sense of familiarity wasn’t lost on either of them.

Ellie’s hand moved from Dina’s shoulder up to her face, pulling her closer. 

If it wasn’t for the pair of beeps that sounded from the elevator, Ellie probably wouldn’t have stopped. 

The pulled apart quicker than either of them thought possible, straightening up as if nothing had happened. Ellie couldn’t even try to hold back her lopsided grin, no matter how hard Dina was working to keep herself stoic.

When the doors opened and Dina rounded the corner, presumably toward her apartment, Ellie followed with the same vigor as she had earlier. 

Yet another one of the things she loved most about Dina was how easy it was to follow her around, anywhere and everywhere. Even better yet, she seemed to like it, at least when Ellie was the one in question.

Dina stopped at a door and pulled her key from her pocket, struggling with the lock for only a moment.

“Hey, girls.”

A voice from across the hall made both of them jump, Ellie the first one to turn around defensively. What she saw was unsurprising, a pair of guys, probably a bit older than Dina and herself. She raised a brow, but Dina seemed to calm down quickly.

“Hi, Chris.” Dina pulled away from her door, subconsciously hiding herself behind Ellie. “What are you doing out so late, thought you were meant to be on set tomorrow?” 

“I should ask you the same,” he remarked, arms crossed. “We’re just going out for drinks, don’t worry your pretty little head.”

Rolling her eyes, Dina gave an honest shrug. “I’m off until Sunday evening.”

“Who’s the lady friend?” the man -- Chris -- continued, and Ellie deadpanned. 

‘ _ Lady friend,’  _ huh?

“I’m not talking to you tonight. You should go do that thing where you exist anywhere other than right here.” Dina turned away again, shoving the key back into the lock with more force, as if she hadn’t opened the door hundreds of times before. 

Ellie remained stock still with confusion, watching the men stumble down the hallway like they’d been drinking since the sun came up. She couldn’t blame them, not in a city like this.

“What the fuck was that?” Ellie whispered, following Dina inside when she finally got the lock to function as intended. 

“Coworker bullshit. For someone that gets paid significantly more than I do, you’d think he’d be, I dunno, composed,” she grumbled, kicking off her boots and hanging up her jacket. 

Ellie chuckled, following suit with her jacket and sneakers. As she stepped further into the apartment, her eyes went round. If she wasn’t intimidated by Dina before, she sure as hell was now.

“Holy fuck,” Ellie muttered under her breath, acting as if she’d never seen an apartment as nice as Dina’s in her life. Truth be told, she probably hadn’t, not in person.

The space was almost entirely open, with a massive window that made up the front wall, balcony and all. 

Her kitchen was spotless, with an equally tidy living room, the likes of which accompanied by an entertainment center to be marveled at. A wooden staircase led up to a loft, most likely where her bedroom would be set up.

“So, what are we gonna do, watch a movie or something?” Ellie asked with a faint smile, turning on her heel to face Dina. 

“Even being with Cat couldn’t change the lack of common sense, hm?” Dina complained as she strode down the hallway, still the prettiest thing that Ellie had ever seen.

“Jealous are we?” Ellie quipped, biting her lip. “You’re the only one in the world that stands a chance at knocking the sense into me, you know.”

“Oh ha-ha,” Dina huffed, grabbing Ellie by the hand and leading her up the stairs. 

As expected, she had turned the loft into her bedroom. It was complete with her -- fittingly so -- queen-sized bed, a pair of nightstands, string lights, and a copious amount of polaroids. 

Some of them featured Ellie or Jesse, others Talia, or some of their other friends that would come and go all through school.

It was bittersweet to see them all young and happy, back when all they had to worry about was how other people would think about them, or getting a good grade on their next test. Ellie missed it, but the sense of freedom that living on her own provided was all worth it.

When Dina looked at her expectantly, Ellie did her best not to freeze up. With anyone else, she would have already been on top of them. 

Dina was the complete opposite of ‘anyone else.’ It had been so long since she’d so much as spoken to her, so long that she was convinced that their spark had finally died out.

She couldn’t be any more wrong.

As if it had become her sixth sense -- it probably had after all of these years -- Dina caught on to Ellie’s apprehension. She placed her hands on Ellie’s hips, easing them under her shirt to trace along her stomach.

“We don’t need to do this if you don’t want to,” Dina said, completely sincere. She wasn’t sure if Ellie would ever so much as consider turning her down, but she’d never think less of her for it if she did. 

Ellie shook her head, leaning into her touch. 

“I want to.” 

Giving her a nod, Dina pressed her body closer, slipping her hands out from beneath Ellie’s flannel and working towards unbuttoning it. 

She had to fight between looking Ellie in the eyes and keeping her focus on the increasingly obnoxious buttons in front of her, but the buttons had to win if she wanted to go anywhere.

She slipped Ellie’s flannel off of her shoulders to toss it aside, then leaned up to kiss her on the jaw, mostly in reassurance. 

The pair stumbled unceremoniously towards the bed, Ellie taking the lead as Dina’s calves hit the frame. Dina was quick to react, propping herself up on one elbow and tangling her hand in Ellie’s hair. 

Lips colliding again as they had time and time again, Dina pushed against Ellie, who only fought harder to keep her down. Ellie wasted no time in bringing her hands to Dina’s chest, wrestling with the buttons. 

The amount of experience that she had in the area was far too obvious, and Dina couldn’t help but smile against her lips. She held her arms out to slip the shirt off, and before long, that too was on the floor. 

Now she was only in a black bra and her jeans, and Ellie was staring at her with a type of hunger that she couldn’t even imagine putting into words. That same look was one she knew all too well and  _ fuck _ did it push her limits.

Ellie pulled back to discard her own t-shirt, leaving herself just as exposed as Dina. Her hands were at the clasp on Dina’s bra in seconds, and seemingly their year apart had given Ellie time to practice. The material was off nearly immediately and Ellie didn’t waste her time.

Latching onto one of Dina’s breasts, she kissed her with fervor, whimpering when a hand caught in her hair and  _ pulled _ . She couldn’t even pretend that she didn’t like it.

While one hand worked to steady herself, Ellie’s free hand worked against Dina’s other mound, eliciting a noise from her that Ellie didn’t think she’d ever be graced with again.

Testing the waters, Ellie brought her knee forward, pushing it against the exact spot that Dina wanted her to be. In doing so she earned another moan from deep in Dina’s throat, legs parting further for her.

Any thought of going slow for their first time together in a year was discarded. 

Maybe something slow and affirming and  _ gentle _ was what they wanted, but like hell were they going to slow down now that the pace had been established.

Ellie pressed harder, and Dina’s hips worked against her, searching for any source of friction. 

As she pulled away from Dina’s chest, Ellie worked lower, leaving a bite on the skin along her ribs. That elicited another throaty whine from her and Ellie all but grinned.

When Ellie finally pulled away from her, Dina looked nothing short of a mess. Her hair was barely held in the constraints of her ponytail, her eyes were lidded, and by fuck she was blushing.

“Get these off,” Ellie grumbled, hooking her finger in the waistband of Dina’s pants. She pulled her body away from Dina expectantly, one arm still holding her above her.

“Make me.” 

Knowing all too well what she was doing to Ellie, Dina pressed her knees together, still desperate for  _ something _ to ease the heat that gathered between her legs. She knew that Ellie would be frustrated, but given her history with Ellie, she knew it’d pay off for her.

Ellie, after shooting her an admittedly threatening glare, leaned in close to her ear. 

“You’re going to pay for that.” Ellie’s fingers were at the button of her jeans instantly, undoing them and pulling them off along with her underwear, leaving Dina entirely exposed and at her mercy.

Dina hadn’t remembered her acting like this back in Jackson, not even in the slightest. She was never so outwardly confident or, well,  _ domineering.  _ It was oddly exciting, -- enticing, even -- and Dina wasn’t sure why she felt that way. 

“Move,” Ellie husked, guiding her to the headboard of the bed with a steel-like grip.

Dina followed along, her eyes going round as Ellie pulled away to slip out of her sports bra. She resolved to deal with her pants later, if Ellie let her be in control.

_ When _ Ellie let her be in control, Dina corrected herself. 

The odds didn’t seem to be in her favor as Ellie climbed towards her, straddling her hips and leaning down to kiss her on the neck.

“Watch yourself,” Dina warned softly, her hand on Ellie’s thigh. “If you leave a mark I’ll get in trouble at work.”

Ellie smiled against her skin.

“Whatever you say, princess.”

She continued down Dina’s body, stopping as she reached the inside of her thigh. 

“Don’t fucking call me princess, you know I-”

Dina was cut off when Ellie’s lips were on her body, right where she needed her the most. By now she was sure that she was seeing god, all but choking out a moan, surprised by her own sensitivity. 

Ellie didn’t try to pull away, and Dina was in no place to complain. 

Using one hand to prop herself up, Ellie brought her free hand up to Dina and pushed two fingers into her. She had to pull her face away to give her hand room, but Dina didn’t protest with anything more than a faint whimper. 

Ellie started to move her fingers in and out, and Dina bucked her hips against them, trying to speed up the pace.

“Easy, princess,” Ellie said under her breath, still trying to get on her nerves, even in such a compromising situation. 

“Fuck-- you’re the worst,” Dina managed to say, biting down on her lip as Ellie picked up her pace. 

Ellie only chuckled in response, curling her fingers inside of Dina and hitting the one spot that always managed to make her see stars, one that Ellie knew all too well. Even after their time apart, Ellie remembered every little thing about Dina’s body, how she’d react to every single touch.

It made her happy to know that she was the person who could get Dina under her with ease.

Deciding that she was uncomfortable in her current position by Dina’s waist, Ellie snuck up to the top of the bed with her, pressing a few kisses to her jaw to let her know that she’d moved. The new position didn’t slow her down in the slightest, only making it easier to have her way with Dina.

“God, you feel so good,” Dina whispered, her voice shaky with something Ellie couldn’t quite decipher. 

Ellie smirked to herself, listening intently as Dina struggled to hold back the moans that escaped from her. 

“Quiet,” Ellie warned her, using her thumb to circle Dina’s most sensitive spot. Her wrist protested against everything she was doing, but she wouldn’t stop if her life depended on it. “You like that?” she whispered, knowing the answer all too well.

Dina couldn’t muster an answer, already close to her breaking point. 

Ellie, instead of pushing for a response, did exactly what Dina wanted her to do and moved back down to the place she had occupied originally, removing her hand and propping herself up on Dina’s thighs. Her lips worked against her eagerly, hitting every single place that she knew she should.

Dina’s fingers were in her hair, pulling as they had earlier. Ellie stared up at her expectantly with rounded forest eyes, unable to restrain a groan when Dina tugged exceptionally hard.

Not long after, Dina’s back arched, moans coming to a peak as she finished. Her grip on Ellie’s hair loosened, but Ellie didn’t quite stop, helping her to ride out the last of her climax.

_ Fuck, _ she had missed that.

When Ellie finally decided that she was done, she pulled away, wiping her chin with the back of her hand and coming to lay next to Dina again.

“Not too bad, eh princess?” Ellie teased, poking Dina on the nose gently. They were both fighting to catch their breath, Ellie was smiling like a dork, and Dina looked absolutely shocked. 

“God, do you ever stop?” Dina breathed, pushing her knees together as Ellie stared at her. 

“Nope. You should’ve told me to leave when you had the chance.” 

“Maybe I should have.” Dina bit her lip, brushing a few stray hairs away from Ellie’s face. “Maybe you should just go now, if you’re so inclined.” 

“You think you’re getting rid of me that easily?” Ellie asked, and they both knew the answer -- no, of course not.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Dina grinned, flipping them so Ellie was beneath her. Now that she’d made an opportunity for herself, she didn’t want to waste it.

That being said, there was no harm in having a bit of fun.

Dina leaned in close to Ellie’s neck, pressing a few kisses to her skin and trailing down her chest. Her knee was pinned between Ellie’s legs, keeping her steady, meanwhile, Ellie did her best to push against it. 

“Is this okay?” Dina asked, barely above a whisper as her hand found the zipper to Ellie’s jeans. She had a good idea of what the answer to that question would be, but she wanted to be sure. If Ellie wanted to speak up, Dina wanted to give her the chance to do so.

“Yeah-- yeah, it’s very okay,” Ellie stammered, trying to hide how quickly her attitude flipped the second that she was under Dina. 

Dina let out a chuckle at how much she’d lost her composure straight off the bat, and Ellie’s face reddened even more when she did. 

It didn’t take long for Dina to take Ellie’s jeans out of the situation, her boxers following suit. While Dina was busy being in complete and total awe, Ellie couldn’t help but squirm around beneath her. 

“You’re excited,” Dina mumbled, biting her lip as she drew her fingers down Ellie’s side. In response, Ellie could only muster a shaky sigh, clinging closer to Dina’s body.

When Ellie pulled her over, Dina gave in, putting her fingers exactly where Ellie wanted them to be. She made sure to be gentle, at least to begin with, remembering all too well how sensitive Ellie could get.

It didn’t feel  _ normal _ to be with Ellie like this again, that was for sure. It was only worse that she knew that it was just a hookup, and that was probably all it’d get to be.

Dina wanted desperately to change that, only if Ellie did too.

“Faster,” Ellie breathed, her body pressed to Dina’s, breath heavy on her skin. Dina loved how clingy she got, no matter how much she wished that she could find it annoying. She’d do anything to find her less endearing.

Dina did as she asked, and soon Ellie was latched onto her neck, kissing and biting her skin in between every moan. She was surprised to see that Ellie was close already, but having that effect on her boosted her ego more than she’d like to admit.

Ellie tensed underneath her, letting out one last whine before going limp on the bed. 

She couldn’t quite pull herself together, willing herself to stop breathing so heavily, but Dina thought it was cute.

When she was sure Ellie was finished, Dina rolled off of her and finally relaxed, burying her face in her shoulder. 

“God, I missed you,” Ellie whispered, pulling Dina’s head in close to her.

“The sex or the Dina? It’s hard to tell with you,” Dina shot back, smiling against her skin.

“You.” Ellie went quiet, looking down to assess the marks she’d left. “Don’t hate me.”

“What?” Dina questioned, furrowing her brow as she held onto Ellie’s body, acting like the second she let go would be the end of whatever  _ this _ was.

“You’ve got a little something, right here,” Ellie husked, running her fingers along the side of Dina’s neck gently. Dina leaned into the touch involuntarily, and she would have scowled at Ellie if she knew that she wouldn’t get made fun of for it.

“Whatever. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” 

“If you say so.”

═══════════════════

When Dina woke up, she was disappointed but not surprised to find her bed empty.

That same sickening feeling of loneliness that she could never get rid of continued to linger over her and frustrate her, and all she wanted was to make it stop, but she couldn’t.

Last night couldn’t be fake. There was no way in hell that it hadn’t happened, not with Dina’s bed smelling like Ellie and how vivid all of it had been. She still didn’t know how to admit to herself that she, Dina, had left Jackson and in turn the most amazing partner she’d ever have, much less the fact that her same ex-partner was underneath her mere hours ago.

Now the haze of light sifting through her curtains was the only thing keeping Dina from closing her eyes and going back to sleep. Her clothing was strewn across her normally pristine room, and she normally would despise every little thing about it.

But she couldn’t.

She couldn’t hate the mess of clothing on her floor when she remembered how Ellie had pulled every single piece off of her just last night. She couldn’t hate the way her pillows had been moved exactly to Ellie’s liking through the night. 

She could never hate Ellie or anything she did, and she never wanted to, either. 

When she decided that she’d lingered long enough, Dina rolled over to the edge of her bed, sitting up and sighing when she felt how her body ached all over. The last week hadn’t been easy on her, last night only tiring her out more, and she didn’t ever want to get out of bed again.

Stretching her arms out, Dina looked around for any sign of Ellie. Her clothes were gone, she didn’t hear anything downstairs, and above all else the apartment just  _ felt _ empty without her.

Of course she was gone.    
  


It was stupid for Dina to expect her to stick around. She wasn’t obligated to stay through the morning, not if she didn’t want to, but Dina sincerely wished that she had. 

Her whole apartment smelled undeniably like Ellie, and while she didn’t need the constant jab in the back of her mind, it did wonders to take her mind everywhere that it shouldn’t be.

She glanced over to her nightstand, furrowing her brow when she saw a slip of paper that most definitely wasn’t there before, scribbled with writing in blue ink.

Dina picked up the paper apprehensively, finding the chicken scratch writing all too familiar and decipherable.

_ Dina, _

_ I wish I could have stuck around this morning, but I didn’t want to wake you up. I had a gig to get to with Cat and she’s always been an early riser, plus, free breakfast am I right? _

Dina tensed up at the mention of Cat in the letter, biting her lip in nervous habit.

_ I put my new number in your phone. By the way, nice lock screen. Get a new passcode though, our anniversary? Still? Seriously? You’re never allowed to call me a dork, ever again. _

_ I texted you the address of the place, I’ll be there until eleven, then I’m free all day.  _

_ Please reach out. _

L̶o̶v̶e̶ y̶o̶u̶

_ Ellie _

Dina scrunched up her face at a scribbled out part of the letter, trying her best to decipher it, coming to the conclusion that it said ‘love you.’ She forced herself to remember that she could be wrong, that it was probably just instinct and Ellie didn’t really mean it. 

If she did mean it, it had to be platonic, right? She had plenty of people to sleep around with, and Dina regretted the fact that she had taken last night so quickly. That could very well be the last time she had Ellie in that way.

She didn’t want things to end like that between them.

Their relationship had never been fast or angry or rushed before, she didn’t want it that way now. If Ellie gave her a chance, she’d do her best to make things right.

All she wanted was to make it right.

She stared down at her phone, seeing that it was already 9:30 in the morning. How she had slept so long, she had no clue, but Ellie tended to have that effect on her.

Dina opened up her messages, seeing a new contact labeled ‘handsome stranger.’ Despite the lack of a picture, Dina knew immediately who it was, sighing adoringly to herself.

The only text from her so far was an address, presumably for some sort of nearby cafe. 

Nothing better to do.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, lmk if you'd like a little continuation of this, I'm very open to it. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


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